Channelization and Turn Bays

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Outline

■ Principles of Channelization
■ Turn Bay Design
■ Median Openings
■ Some Examples Around Ames

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Principles of Channelization

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Channelization purpose:

■ Facilitate safe and orderly movement

■ Separate or regulate conflicting
movements
■ Define paths of travel
■ Use traffic islands or pavement
markings
■ … for both vehicles and pedestrians

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Types/functions

■ Directional – control, direct, guide

■ Divisional – divide and alert
■ Refuge – aid and protect pedestrians
and bicyclists

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Island Channelization

■ Flush or raised, paved or unpaved, always

marked, sometimes delineated
■ If raised … use lighting
■ If raised rural … also delineate and slope
curbs
■ Size: large enough to command attention
■ Must delineate a path that is natural and
convenient for the driver
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Island Channelization

■ Must have sufficient approach sight

distance to islands
■ Right turn island size (75 square feet at
least to command attention)
■ Minimum length of left turn bay 100’
■ If used at series of rural intersections,
keep geometry consistent

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Channelization

■ Gives priority to dominant movements

■ Provides storage and/or deceleration area
for turning vehicles
■ Controls prohibited turns
■ Restricts speed

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Delineation With Pavement Marking

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Usage expected

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Functional Objectives
Limit Conflict Points (i.e., prohibit certain
movements, non-overlap of opposing LTs), esp.
in vicinity of intersection functional area (see
figures)
Limit Conflict Area Complexity (i.e., eliminate legs,
add turn lanes, islands)
Limit Conflict Frequency (i.e., add turn lanes, use
right angles)
Limit Conflict Severity (i.e., small angles, adequate
turn bay length/curb radii for speed differential
issues)
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Points of Conflict
Traffic conflicts occur where the path of
traffic movement crosses.

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Urban Intersection

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Conflict Points at Intersection

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Urban Channelized Intersection-

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Left & Right Turn Lanes

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Left & Right Turn Lane Requirements

■ Turning movement
volumes/ capacity
■ Length of vehicles
■ Accident (crash)
experience (MUTCD?
Other?)

Source: www\fhwa\Flexibility in Highway Design

- Chapter 8 - FHWA.htm
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Left Turn Lane Warrants

■ New Construction:
■ all unstopped approaches on primary, high speed rural highway
intersections with other primary roadways
■ Other approaches where through, left, and opposing volumes
justify
■ 12 ft. lanes

■ Rehabilitation:
■ Typically installed where
there is a safety issue with
vehicles turning left
■ 11 ft. or 12 ft. lanes

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Warrants (cont.)

Consider left turn lane

if advancing
volume/percent left
combination exceeds
these values.

Note: for advancing

left turn volume > 300
VPH total, consider
dual left turn lane.

Source: Green book

2001

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40mph

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50mph

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Warrants (cont.) –

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Lane Length
■ Deceleration
■ Provide distance for turning vehicles to decelerate without
interfering with through traffic
■ Deceleration lane length depends on:
■ Speed
■ number of queued vehicles
■ vehicle length
■ Minimum: accommodate deceleration from D.S. – 10 mph to
stop (PRT & 10 MPH reduction occurs upstream of bay; more in
congested, urban conditions)
■ Storage
■ Unsignalized, accommodate 2 minutes of demand, at least 2
cars (or 1 car and 1 truck if truck% > 10)

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Length required, unsignalized left turn lanes

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Turn Bay Components

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Some Turn Lane Details

■ Transitions are often symmetrical reverse

curves or straight line
■ Curves at each end are desirable
■ Green Book: 8:1 to 15:1 tapers for high
speed highways … urban use 100’ for
single and 150’ for dual left turn lane

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Desig
n

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Desig
n

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Left Turn Bay Circular Transition

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Left Turn Bay Taper

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Left Turn Bay (No Transition)

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Left Turn Separated [Tiger Tail]

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35
If speed limit = 45
Initial v = 35 = 50fps
d2=10:1 x 12 = 120’
Delta v = ?
120=1/2(4.5)t2 + 50t
t=2.2s
Delta v = 2.2x4.5=10fps
v2=50-10=40fps
t2=40/9=4.5s
d3=1/2(9)(4.5)2 = 92’~100’
d3+d3=220’ for decel. Only
(within the lane only)

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With Signals …

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Signalized storage required:

■ Signalized, accommodate twice the

expected average storage needed –
depends on cycle and phasing

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Right Turn Bays

■ Right turn bay length depends on corner

radius (design speed)

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Median Openings

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Raised Median: Clive

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T-Intersection or Driveway

Two Lane Undivided Street

Side Street

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T-Intersection or Driveway

Two Lane Undivided Street

Side Street

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Median Closure

▪ Application – Median openings should be

considered for closure when:

✔ A safety or operational problem is evident and an

appropriate retrofit cannot be made.
✔ Median width <11 ft.
✔ The left-turn bay of a nearby signalized intersection
needs to be extended.
✔ Where a pattern of left-turn crashes is evident.
✔ Where heavy pedestrian use is predicted or accidents
involving pedestrians have occurred at intersections.
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Median Closure - Design

✔ The need for visual cues is especially critical during

nighttime hours where a 4-way intersection previously
existed or there are access drives directly opposite each
other.
✔ Minimum 4 ft. width face-to-face of curbs is
recommended.
✔ Select and locate landscaping materials to delineate the
median.
✔ Landscaping must not obscure sight distances.

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T-Intersection or Driveway
Two lane roadway with raised median closed, no left-turn

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T-Intersection or Driveway
After #2
Two-lane roadway with raised median (left turn egress only from intersection or
driveway)

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T-Intersection or Driveway
After #3
Two lane roadway with raised median (left turn ingress only into driveway)

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4-Way Intersection or Driveway

Note: Add 4 conflicts to each for four lane roadways

40 conflicts with
Four Lane on
major street
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4-Way Intersection or Driveway

Added median close eliminates left-turn conflicts

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4-Way Intersection or Driveway

Two lane roadway with raised median (left turn egress only from intersection or
driveway)

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4-Way Intersection or Driveway

Two lane roadway with raised median (left turn ingress only into intersection or
driveway)

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Two Way Left Turn Lanes at Intersection
or Driveway:

Two way left turn lanes (TWLTL) (3 lane roadway)

Reduces rear-end accidents and allows merging traffic to store in TWLTL

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Openings in the Raised Median

▪ New median openings should not be permitted

except to accommodate intersecting public roads
or streets or large traffic-generating facilities
such as shopping centers or industrial plants.

▪ Median openings may be permitted in these

instances if satisfactorily justified and in the
public interest.

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Median Openings …(see GB for
Design specs)

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Island for No Left Turn

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Some examples around Ames

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Striping through Intersection: Difficult to
See

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Curb Radius Parking Lot

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Island for No Left Turn

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Right Turn Bay Curve

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Left Turn Bay Pavement Markings

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Curb Radius Curb Cut

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Turn Lane Pedestrian Refuge

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Curb Cut

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RR Crossing

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RR Crossing Raised Median

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Right Turn Island

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Island Pedestrian Refuge

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Median End Treatment

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Left Turn Bay Curve, Right Turn Bay Taper

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Left Turn Bay Circular Transition

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Left Turn Bay Curve, Right Turn Bay Taper

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Median to Discourage U-Turns

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3 Leg Intersection

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Median End (Keep Right)

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Median End Delineation

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Median in front of Lowes

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Intersection Approach Lincoln Way
at Elwood

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 th
Intersection Approach 4 at Lincoln
Way

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